


Experiment Gone Wrong

by Spectra615



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-04
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2018-04-07 15:31:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 18,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4268604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spectra615/pseuds/Spectra615
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Disclaimer: TMNT does not belong to me.<br/>Ember is mine.<br/>Summary: One of the turtles awakes in a strange place, only to be found that he is bound and unable to flee.<br/>Rating: Teen and up</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Bright lights blinded him, causing his eyes to scrunch together in order to protect his sensitive vision. His thoughts muddled together in a seemingly endless fog as he tried to return to the land of wakefulness. He felt strangely weak and heavy, like there was a hundred pound weight pressing down on him; his muscles wouldn’t respond to his commands and he felt completely numb. His throat was parched; completely dried out. Even trying to open his eyes was a challenge.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the young terrapin slowly peeled his eyelids back, forcing them to open. He was met with multiple bright lights all seeming to move above him. Blinking drowsily, he tried to clear the dizziness away, but his mind remained in an intense fog, keeping him groggy and confused.

Minutes passed before the hazy feeling started to flee and he could form coherent thoughts. Questions began floating around in his head like a mist; the two most consistent ones were ‘Where am I?’ and ‘What happened?’ For some strange reason, he couldn’t remember the events that led him to this predicament.

Soon, the numbness started to dissipate and the ninja turtle regained feeling in his limbs. It was then he felt leather belts across his body, wrists, legs, and ankles. As soon as he realized this, panic began to simmer in his gut. Taking a deep breath, he tried to push his nervousness aside in order to discover the situation he was in.

A constant beeping to his right made itself known and the trapped reptile turned his head to find a large heart monitor, as well as a table with his brightly-colored mask, belts, and weapons sitting upon it. Extending from the machine were four slightly coiled wires, stretched towards the amphibian. His eyes turned downward, finding that attached to the wires were electrodes sticking to different places on his plastron.

Once again, panic threatened to build inside of him, but the ninja did his best to remain calm. A glance to his left, however, broke the barrier inside him.

On a metal tray resting next to him, there was a needle filled with a strange, clear orange liquid and different, dangerously sharp tools that gleamed in the light above. It was semi-clear where the turtle was now and he did not like it one bit.

His breathing came out in short, sharp gasps and he began to struggle weakly to break his restrains. He went into a full-blown panic, his entire body shaking uncontrollably on the metal examination table. He had no clue where exactly he was, his brothers, master and friends were nowhere to be found, and he was all alone in this strange place.

Out of nowhere, three shadows came into his vision from different places around him, causing his eyes to widen in horror. Their faces were darkened due to the light above them, so he couldn’t get a good look at them, but he couldn’t recognize any of them regardless.

“The turtle is awake, sir” one of the men said without taking his eyes off of their subject. “We’re ready to begin Experiment Alpha 41806.”

“Excellent” another man said from somewhere else.

His voice was low and sounded professional; it was also a voice that the ninja did not recognize. His struggles continued, but they were no use. He wanted to shout, demand to be released, call upon his brothers for help, but his scratchy, dry throat prevented him from doing so.

The three men above the panicked turtle moved away and a different man stepped into his view on his left. He wore a black suit with a white button-down shirt and a black tie. From what the reptile could see, the stranger had jet black hair combed neatly on his head and he wore sunglasses over his eyes. The sharply-dressed man leant closer to the ninja, his hands resting on the table he laid upon so he could get a better view of his captive. He wore a devilish smile upon his face.

“Hello, Michelangelo. You may call me Agent Bishop.”

A whimper escaped Mikey’s throat and his eyes filled with tears. The person above him turned away briefly then turned back. He held up the syringe with the orange liquid in the freckled terrapin’s vision for him to see.

“Time to be experimented on, my mutant friend” the agent said deviously before chuckling.

Azure blue eyes watched in pure terror as the needle was brought down to the side of his neck. As soon as Bishop depressed the plunger, a blood-curdling, strangled, animalistic cry escaped from Michelangelo’s throat.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 1: The Search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: TMNT does not belong to me  
> Ember is mine  
> Summary: The brothers and allies search for Michelangelo.  
> Rating: None for this chapter

The gigantic city of Manhattan was eerily quiet on this particular evening. There wasn’t a single soul out on the normally busy streets of New York. Usually, this would have worried everybody, but after the Kraang Invasion had been stopped and everyone cured nearly a month ago, people rarely left their homes after dark.

Six shadows blended against the night sky as they leapt from rooftop to rooftop, five figures following the purple-banded genius. Not a single sound passed between the team of mutants and humans as they traveled the rooftops in their search for Michelangelo.

For once, Raphael didn’t challenge every decision Leonardo made, for they both had the same goal in mind; find and rescue their baby brother. Even Donatello and Casey Jones didn’t share any witty banter with one another, knowing that the mission was much more serious than their own quests to win April O’Neil’s heart.

As for Ember, she was completely and overly determined to find Michelangelo. Nothing else mattered to the lioness until she knew that her boyfriend was back at their new lair and safe from harm. When Leo tried to convince her to stay behind for her own safety, she refused, arguing rather heatedly that the three brothers needed all the help they could get. The leader knew then that nothing and no one was going to stand in the feline’s way. The orange-banded turtle had saved Ember many times before; now it was her turn to save him.

A firm resolve could be seen in Leonardo’s blue orbs as he, his brothers, and his allies traversed the city to find their missing brother. Inside, the blue-clad terrapin berated himself for allowing this to happen to one of their own. His guilt swirled around in his spirit; a hurricane of emotions that wouldn’t cease until he knew that Mikey was home safe.

The memories haunted Leo at every turn, never allowing him to forget.

…

Laser shots fired, but were avoided with ease, reflecting off of the metal of ninja weapons. Harsh cracks resounded as wooden weapons came into contact with enemy heads. Commands barked out from both sides, all refusing to give up the fight until one of them had won.

The turtles were out on patrol when they were ambushed by soldiers, covered from head to toe in uniform and carrying laser guns in their hands. On their right arms, they bore the letters “EPF”, though the terrapin heroes had no clue what they stood for. For now though, it didn’t matter. The only thing that was important was that the ninjas made it out of the battle alive.

The brothers fought their hardest against these new foes, but when one fell, they were removed from the battle and replaced by others. Soon, the reptiles were caught in their own bouts. Distracted by their challengers, none of the turtles saw the silver tranquilizer dart flying towards Michelangelo or heard his shriek of pain as it struck his arm.

Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael continued combating their opponents, giving their all to defeat them. All too suddenly, however, the men backed away and retreated. Turning their heads, the three ninjas found two soldiers closing the doors of an armored truck that was at the end of the alley they were standing in. However, the forest-green amphibian caught a glimpse of his unconscious, orange-banded brother inside the vehicle.

“Mikey!” the leader called as he reached out.

Out of nowhere, a searing white-hot pain was sent through the remaining turtles’ bodies. Their muscles spasmed as multiple jolts of electricity were dealt to them simultaneously. Shouts and grunts escaped through gritted teeth and eyes scrunched closed until the shocks subsided. The brothers collapsed onto the ground and when they came to shortly after, their foes were gone with Michelangelo in their clutches.

…

After their fight, Leonardo carried the burden of failure upon his shoulders. He swore that he would not rest until his missing brother was found and brought back home safe and sound.

Since the three turtles were unconscious at the time of their enemies’ escape, they weren’t able to see which direction the truck had gone from the alley. When Donatello tried to track Mikey’s Tphone, there was something blocking the signal to indicate his location. The ninjas spent the rest of the night searching the city for a sign of the soldiers who kidnapped their brother, but to no avail.

When the brothers had returned to their new home in the early morning hours, the purple-clad genius went hard to work on a new device that would pick up a trail from the material on the tires on the armored truck. During the time they were home, Donnie also researched the initials that were embedded on the soldiers’ uniforms, having stored them into his extensive memory.

Even though there was limited knowledge, the gap-toothed turtle did find what the letters EPF stood for: Earth Protection Force. Donnie also found the man who headed their operation; a man known as Agent John Bishop.

After relaying the story to Splinter, hours of work and research done by the brainiac, requesting assistance from April and Casey, and a small argument between Ember and Leo, the six teenagers set out to search for Michelangelo and bring him back home.

As they were running, Donatello came to an abrupt halt atop an apartment building, causing everyone behind him to stop as well. The brown-eyed mutant shifted his gaze from the tracker in his hand to a run-down gas station and convenience store across the street. Leonardo approached his taller brother after a moment of silence.

“What is it Donnie?” the leader questioned.

The genius shook his head in befuddlement, staring at the tracking device in his large hand. “This…doesn’t make sense. According to the scanner, the trail ends at this abandoned convenience store, but there’s nothing here. I don’t understand why the Earth Protection Force would come to this particular location. I wouldn’t even think they would have a location in New York, seeing as they’re a military unit.”

April came up on Donnie’s left side, looking down at the store. “Maybe it’s a cover?” Her voice sounded unsure.

“I-I guess it’s possible” the tall reptile shrugged.

“Let’s go down there and investigate” Leo ordered sternly. “Mikey’s been gone for nearly twenty-four hours already. If this is our chance to find him, then we can’t waste it.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice” Ember said bitterly, her hazel eyes narrowed in determination.

The group climbed down the fire escape on the side of the building then waited in the shadows beneath. The blue-clad terrapin checked their surroundings carefully before giving the signal to move on.

Everyone crossed the street to the abandoned store and, on Leo’s command, split up to search for clues, using flashlights to illuminate the area. April, Casey, and Ember searched the inside of the building while the three turtle brothers searched outside.

The store’s interior was empty aside from the checkout counter and built-in shelves. The redhead went behind the desk and bent down to look underneath. Using a flashlight, she scanned the bottom of the counter, finding nothing. The vigilante and lioness also found nothing significant in the store to help their search.

Meanwhile, the terrapins searched the exterior in different places. Raph journeyed to the back of the store while Leo and Donnie investigated the front. Using heat-seeking goggles, the bo-staff-wielding reptile inspected each pump at the gas station. Three out of four showed no results, but one pump in particular caught his eye.

“Leo, come here” Donatello waved.

The blue-eyed amphibian quickly ran over to his brother’s side. “What is it? Did you find something?” he asked urgently.

Donnie removed his goggles and handed them to Leo, who slipped them over his eyes and stared at the pump. Through the goggles, the leader found that the three buttons indicating the types of gasses and the nozzle all had red on them, indicating that they all had been touched recently.

“The other stations haven’t been touched, but this one has” the genius explained. “From what I can tell, this station has been abandoned for a really long time, so there wouldn’t be fuel in any of these pumps.”

Leonardo took the googles off and handed them back to Donnie. “So what?”

“People can’t come here for gas to fuel their cars, which means that the EPF probably does use this station as a cover” the gap-toothed turtle replied. “There’s only one way to find out if it’s true, though.”

Donatello put the goggles back on over his brown-red eyes and inspected the buttons and nozzle once more. Using his expert observation skills, he pressed the middle, left, then right yellow buttons then grabbed the nozzle and squeezed the silver trigger before lifting the goggles onto his head.

The ground began to shake suddenly, throwing everyone off-balance momentarily. Turning around, Donnie and Leo watched in awe as a large portion of the ground between the store and station became slant, creating a ramp leading underground.

April, Ember, Casey, and Raphael all ran to join each other at the front of the store as soon as they felt the tremors. Their eyes widened in shock at the sight before them.

The quakes ended quickly and the teens gathered around the entrance to the newly found tunnel. On either side of the pathway, small white bulbs flickered to life, illuminating the area.

“Well…I didn’t expect that” the human vigilante said.

“Do you think this is where the EPF is keeping Mikey?” April questioned.

“There’s only one way to find out” the hothead replied. “You up for it, Leo?”

The blue-banded leader exhaled through his nose. “Everyone stick to the shadows and keep quiet. We find Mikey, grab him, and get out. Is that clear?”

Everyone nodded their approval and Leonardo nodded in return.

“Let’s go save our brother.”

The six teens made their way down the ramp leading into the underground tunnel. The ground behind them closed as everyone stepped into the secret hallway. Determination was set in everyone’s face and eyes. If Michelangelo was here, then the six friends would find him, no matter what.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 2: Blackout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: TMNT does not belong to me  
> Summary: Mikey wakes and experiences the pains of his torture.  
> Rating: Teen and up

The constant aching of his muscles, the pounding pain in his temples, and his own labored breathing slowly roused Michelangelo from his drug-induced slumber. The young ninja’s head swam endlessly, making it near impossible to move any part of his reptilian body, let alone open his eyes.

From what Mikey could feel, his arms were spread out away from his body and cold metal cuffs were placed over his wrists while his legs were lying limply on the ground beneath him. He could also feel his carapace braced against a brick wall. Even in his dazed state, the terrapin could tell that he was in a holding cell of some sort.

Finally opening his heavy-lidded eyes, Mikey discovered that the room was pitch-black. He supposed that he wouldn’t be able to see his three-fingered hands in front of him if he could even move them to test that theory. The blue-eyed terrapin tried not to let the darkness bother him, though, urging himself to remain calm so he could process the situation he was in. However, his slightly drugged state kept him from doing so.

As more of his mind returned to him, flashes and fragments of memories came flooding back all at once. The sounds of strange men speaking and his own voice wailing; crying out as he was probed, sliced, and injected repeatedly. The nightmare-inducing sights of those men experimenting on him with different tools; especially one man overseeing them all, who–if Mikey remembered correctly–was Agent Bishop. His freckled face twisted into a grimace as the remembered and current pain seemed to mold together, creating one massive ache all over his body.

The weakened ninja couldn’t hold back his tears as his muscles trembled within his arms and legs. Grunts and choked sobs escaped past gritted teeth. Sweat cascaded down his head, neck, and arms and his stomach lurched inside of him, threatening to expel its contents. Mikey rolled his head to the side and began to dry heave.

Tears burned the turtle’s azure eyes as the bile left his stomach to splash on the cold stone ground beside him. His head began to swim again as he continued vomiting, but somehow, he was able to mentally pray for relief from this pain and sickness.

It felt like an eternity before Mikey finally finished relieving his stomach of its contents. Coughing loudly, the weakened reptile’s head lolled down from the side to dangle loosely from his neck as he tried to breathe precious oxygen into his overworked lungs.

As the freckled terrapin rested momentarily, an image of his family and friends appeared behind his closed lids. Mikey didn’t want anything more than to be back home with everyone; to be free of this terrible place and the horrible people in it.

The mutant wanted to hold his girlfriend in his arms, look into her eyes and say ‘I love you’. He wanted to be by his brothers’ sides as their father trained them in Ninjutsu. He wanted to race them, April, and Casey and brag about how he was the best. Mikey would give up anything to see all of their smiling faces again.

The sound of a large metal door opening reached Michelangelo’s ears, causing him to slowly bring his head up. Through bleary eyes, the ninja could make out three shadowed figures blotted against a bright light. His fear spiked and he began to struggle in his bindings, trying to avoid the strangers who he was sure wanted to hurt him.

Mikey’s heart hammered within his chest, threatening to burst out at any moment. He couldn’t hear the voices around him due to the constant pounding of his pulse in his ears as it raced. He wanted to scream, to fight and free himself from this wretched place, but his efforts were in vain.

One of the figures knelt beside the struggling amphibian, pulled out a needle, and inserted the bevel into his neck. Mikey released a shriek of pain, which died in his throat as the drug was injected into his bloodstream. It wasn’t long before the serum brought its desired effect. The turtle’s eyes rolled into the back of his head before closing and his head hung loosely as he blacked out, losing consciousness.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 3: Investigation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: TMNT does not belong to me  
> Ember is mine  
> Summary: The heroes search for Michelangelo, only to discover the truth.  
> Rating: Teen and up

Slinking silently against the walls, the turtle ninjas, lioness, and humans made their way through the secret underground base. As soldiers approached, the teens would disappear with the shadows or hide in another hall. So far, they hadn’t been caught and they intended to keep it that way until they found where Michelangelo was being held.

Even though this place was new to the heroes, Donatello knew exactly where they needed to be in order to find the missing terrapin; the surveillance room. Finding it, however, proved to be difficult. The base was practically a large labyrinth with a number of twists and turns.

All of the doors were unmarked, making it hard to tell which room held the surveillance for the security cameras that were placed in each hallway, and most likely each room. It also didn’t help that each door had a keypad beside them, indicating that a security code was needed to enter the rooms. Fortunately, the purple-banded genius came prepared for that possibility.

Donatello put his ear up to one of the doors and on the other side, the sound of someone typing and a series of beeps could be heard. The gap-toothed mutant looked to the leader and pointed to the door. Leonardo nodded once, signaling the brainiac to do what he had to.

Pulling out his Tphone, Donnie plugged a cord into the keypad and tried to hack into its database so he could unlock the door. There were numerous firewalls, but the brown-eyed terrapin was able to make quick work of disabling them momentarily without alerting anyone. A green light appeared on his communication device and the lock turned.

“Okay, we’re good to go” Donnie whispered.

Leo reached out and slowly pushed the door open to only a crack. He glanced into the room to see a soldier sitting at a group of monitors and watching them closely. Narrowing his eyes, the blue-clad amphibian looked at the others and gave them the signal to stay where they were before rushing silently into the room.

The guard sitting at the monitors kept a close watch, paying attention for intruders. He was so intensely focused, he barely registered the rush of wind behind him as someone moved past. Turning on his stool, the sentinel glanced around the area, finding the door halfway open.

His senses went on high alert and he reached down for his gun. But before he could even take two steps towards the door, someone grabbed him from behind, placing a cloth over his mouth and tying it so he couldn’t scream for help.

Leonardo made quick work of disabling the soldier, tying his hands behind his back and removing his weapons and communication device from his arsenal. The leader then set the security guard down near a wall and called out quietly.

“Come on in, guys.”

Following his order, the other five teens rushed into the room. Raphael closed the door behind him and the lock turned.

Donatello immediately went to work on the monitors, typing in different commands and searching each room carefully for Michelangelo. The others watched the screens intently as well in case the genius somehow missed something. Unfortunately, the goofball turtle that they knew and loved was nowhere to be seen.

Donnie shook his head as his eyes widened. “He’s…not here.” His red-brown orbs grew sad as he looked at Leo. “Mikey’s not here.”

“What?!” the blue-eyed terrapin questioned in shock. “Are you sure, Donnie?”

“Sadly positive” the bo-staff-wielder answered.

The leader scowled then turned to the soldier, grabbing him by the collar and yanking the cloth away from his mouth.

“Where is my brother?!” Leo asked angrily.

The guard gasped for breath before replying, “You’ll get nothing from me.”

Suddenly, a loud alarm rang through the base, indicating that the facility had been compromised by intruders. The heroes’ eyes widened in shock and Donnie looked back to the monitors, watching as numerous soldiers ran through the halls.

“They’re on their way here!” the genius yelled over the blaring horn.

Ember snarled in rage and stormed to the captive guard. Leo moved aside as the lioness grabbed the sentinel by the collar of his uniform and pulled him inches from her face.

“If you don’t tell us where they’re keeping Michelangelo, I’ll shred you to pieces and then eat you” the feline threatened so only he could hear.

She held her right paw up and unleashed her claws, moving them closer to the guard’s face. He could see the fire in Ember’s hazel eyes and gulped audibly as she growled past her bared teeth.

“H-he’s being held in Area 51!” the soldier confessed with fear in his voice. “Th-that’s all I know, I swear!”

Narrowed hazel orbs bore into the man’s soul, discovering that he was telling the truth. Ember forcefully shoved the captive down and stormed back to the others. Leo also joined his teammates and pulled a smoke bomb from his belt.

“We’re leaving!” the leader called out.

Throwing the egg down, the gang was enveloped in a plume of purple smoke just as a group of soldiers barged into the room. When the smog cleared, the mutants and human teens were gone, leaving the officials baffled.

…

In the quiet still air of New York City, a large puff of smoke appeared on the rooftop across from the abandoned gas station. The six teens emerged as the smoke vanished, Ember and Raphael both wearing scowls on their faces.

The hotheaded turtle stomped over to the brick wall of the next building and shouted as he punched the wall in a fit of rage. He ignored the pain lancing through his three-fingered hand as he turned to face his brothers and teammates.

“What are we supposed to do now?!” he questioned harshly.

“Area 51 is located in Nevada” April said. “It would take days to get there just by driving.”

“And by then, it would probably be too late” Ember said lowly as she sat down on the rooftop. The lioness placed her chin on her paws, supported by her elbows.

The redhead knelt down next to her female friend and wrapped her arm around the furry shoulders. “Don’t think like that Ember. We’ll find Mikey and get him back.”

“But how?” Casey questioned.

“Actually, I’ve been working on something that could get us to Area 51 in less time than it would take to drive there” Donatello said.

Raph took his genius brother by his shoulders and shook him. “Why didn’t you say so?”

“I-it’s not quite ready yet” the purple-masked turtle said.

“Well, get it ready as soon as possible” Leonardo ordered. “Our brother is in the hands of the EPF and there’s no telling what he’s being put through.”

…

Michelangelo’s hoarse screams echoed off of the walls of the laboratory as he was experimented on. Every cut, every poke, every tool that was used caused the mutant terrapin a great deal of pain that he couldn’t escape, no matter how much he struggled.

From above the room, Agent Bishop watched from behind a window of glass, his eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses in concentration. He wasn’t fazed by the scene below him, having seen this done many times before. The black-suited man was determined to find out what made this specimen so unique unlike other aliens that he had experimented on before.

The human male reached to his right, pressed a button that was attached to the window next to him and spoke.

“That’s enough” Bishop ordered. “Sedate him and take him back to his holding cell.”

The lead doctor in the room nodded and ceased his work on Mikey. The turtle’s scream died in his throat and he gasped for breath, only to shriek again by the pinch of his skin from a needle.

Michelangelo quickly fell under the influence of the tranquilizer and his blue eyes closed in forced slumber. Three soldiers came into the lab and escorted the ninja out while the doctor set about to cleaning his equipment and gathering his samples to give to Bishop.

The head agent turned away from the window and made his way to the doctor’s office, only to be stopped as one of his men approached him. The guard stood at attention.

“Sir, there has been a security breach” the officer said. “Three mutant turtles, a mutant lioness, and two humans found the base in New York looking for the subject we captured, but they escaped with the knowledge of his location.”

“Hmm…I see” Bishop muttered. He turned away from the man. “Prepare your troops, General.” The agent began to walk down the hall. “We’re going to receive some guests.”

“Sir, yes sir!” the General saluted before leaving in the opposite direction.

As the tall, black-haired man made his way down the hall, he allowed an evil smile to cross his face. Bishop had learned about the mutant turtles and lioness from one of his sources in New York City and wanted to learn more about them. And if Michelangelo’s brothers and girlfriend wanted to risk their own safety by coming to rescue the young turtle, Bishop wouldn’t object to letting them try.

TBC…


	5. Chapter 4: The Journey Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: TMNT does not belong to me  
> Ember is mine  
> Summary: The turtles and their allies start their journey to Area 51.  
> Rating: Teen and up

The heroes had made it back to the turtles’ new lair in quick time, immediately locating the area where Donatello kept his latest innovation. Upon entering the large space that was the garage, their gazes fell upon a large object covered in a heavy white sheet of cloth that Donnie had fished from a pile of discarded objects while gathering supplies with his family.

“Is that it, Donnie?” April questioned.

“Yeah, but again, it’s not finished” Donnie reminded. “Raph, help me get this sheet off.”

Raphael went to one side of the covered object and grabbed the sheet while the genius took the other side into his large hands. Together, the two brothers pulled the heavy blanket back off of the invention, revealing a smaller than average, sleek metal airplane. Everyone’s jaw dropped at the sight, Donatello’s intelligence having astounded them once more.

“I have everything needed to help this baby fly, but I’m having trouble with the thrusters” the red-eyed reptile explained. “Even with the Kraang’s Power Cell, they’re still a bit jumpy when I start the engines. It’s the reason why I haven’t shown it to you guys, yet.”

“Well, we’re just gonna have to take our chances” the leader said.

“Leo, you don’t understand what I’m saying here” Donnie began. “If we fly in this plane with faulty thrusters, then there’s a good chance that we’ll fall and crash.”

Dark blue orbs narrowed at the genius. “And every second that we waste talking about this, Michelangelo is still in that facility facing who knows what danger. If we have to risk our own lives to save Mikey’s, then I’m willing to take that chance, and you should be, too.”

As this realization settled into his mind, Donnie lowered his head. What Leo had said was true, and if it wasn’t for that fact alone, the gap-toothed mutant wouldn’t allow for this flight. He brought his head up with eyes narrowed and dipped his chin once, indicating his consent.

“But how are we gonna get it out of here?” Casey piped up.

“I have that covered” Donnie said, his expression never changing.

Leonardo turned to face the lioness and humans. “Everyone get in. We’re leaving right now.”

While the others climbed into the plane, Donatello grabbed a bag full of supplies as a precaution before joining his brothers and friends. The purple-masked amphibian took the pilot’s seat, pressing multiple buttons and flipping various switches.

The jet’s engines roared to life as the Power Cell was activated. Donnie pulled up a map on a GPS then checked everything one more time while silently praying that the thrusters would hold up during their journey. So far, everything seemed fine. To his right, Leo buckled in and watched as his genius brother checked the systems.

Donnie rolled his head on his shoulders then gripped the pilot’s wheel, inhaling deeply through his nose and releasing through his mouth. His eyes narrowed once more.

“Let’s do this.”

The bo-staff wielder reached down and pressed a green button. The plane suddenly jerked as it started to move forward slowly, causing the other five teens to grip their seats tightly.

As the vehicle was directed forward, it began to pick up speed, moving faster and faster along the subway tracks. Everyone watched in shock as Donnie headed for a brick wall, but the genius and leader remained calm.

“Uh, Donnie, we’re gonna crash!” Ember exclaimed over the roar of the engines.

“No we’re not!” Donnie yelled back.

With a flick of his thumb, the purple-banded turtle flipped the top on the right side of the wheel open and pressed a tiny button.

The four teens behind the driver screamed as the wall opened up in front of them, making a slope into an alleyway. The plane shot off of the slope and flew straight into the clear night sky, gaining altitude rather quickly.

Donatello straightened the vehicle out then flipped a couple of switches.

“Systems are stable” the gap-toothed terrapin announced. “But I have no idea how long the thrusters will hold for.”

“I hope for the whole trip” the black-haired teen commented. “I don’t wanna die in a plane crash.”

“Don’t talk like that Casey” April said. “Donnie did all he could and I’m sure that we’ll make it.”

A faint blush spread across Donnie’s face and he was thankful that the redhead of his dreams couldn’t see it. Even though April had kissed him before, it still wasn’t clear whether she liked him more than just a friend or not. Neither of them had brought it up, but the brainy turtle still hoped that the human female had feelings for him.

Leo broke through his train of thought. “How long until we get there?”

“According to the GPS, five hours. That’s if the thrusters hold” Donnie answered honestly.

“Can’t we get there sooner?” the hothead asked impatiently.

“There’s a power booster, but it would burn up the fuel and we wouldn’t be able to get back home.”

“Then save it for when we need it” the leader said. “For now, let’s just get to that base and save Mikey.”

The purple-clad turtle nodded then stared out of the windshield with narrowed eyes. Leonardo sat in the same manner. He was bound and determined to find Mikey and bring him back home, and he could feel that same dedication rolling off of his brothers and friends; especially the lioness, who longed to see her boyfriend’s smiling face again.

Unfortunately, none of them could predict the amount of suffering that Michelangelo was being put through.

TBC…


	6. Chapter 5: Final Phase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: TMNT does not belong to me.  
> Ember is mine.  
> Summary: The final experiment begins as the others arrive.  
> Rating: Teen and up

He sucked in large amounts of dry air, a drawn-out wheeze accompanying each breath. Every muscle and bone in his body cried out to him in searing pain, wishing for relief, but finding none, even in his drug-induced sleep. His throat felt scratchy and dry from screaming loudly almost nonstop and he was sure that he lost his voice.

Exhaustion flooded through Michelangelo, but the tranquilizer’s effect had worn off and pain lanced throughout his body. The young ninja would give anything for his suffering to end, even if it meant death wrapping its arms around him and taking his spirit from his body. Anything would have been better than the situation he found himself in.

Twice he had been experimented on. Twice he had been cut and injected repeatedly. However, it felt like more to him. The memories haunted his every waking moment, frightening him immensely and making his stomach churn and lurch.

Mikey had lost all sense of time between being experimented on and unconscious. Had it been hours, days, or weeks since he was brought here? And where were his brothers? Were they going to come for him? Did they even know where he was located?

A choked sob escaped the terrapin’s throat and tears spilled over his eyelids, staining his freckled cheeks once more. The thought of his family not being able to find him filled his soul with dread. That dread soon turned to terror as the sound of a lock being turned met his ears.

Looking up, Mikey’s fear-filled orbs shot wide open. The same soldiers from before had come for him and were ready to take him back to the lab to be tortured again. But this time, they didn’t inject him with anything; they only released his arms from their confinement.

The mutant turtle tried to fight the soldiers, urging his arms and legs to lash out at them. Unfortunately, they barely moved and he couldn’t find his voice, so Mikey resorted to struggling weakly in their hold. His efforts were all in vain as he was escorted down various hallways and into the laboratory.

Working together, the three guards lifted Michelangelo onto the examination table. Two of them held the reptile down as leather belts were strapped across his body, wrists and ankles by the doctor, an assistant, and the third soldier. Once they were sure that Mikey was secure, they all moved away from the table.

The frightened terrapin rolled his head onto his right side then his left, trying to find where everyone had gone. Suddenly, he felt something heavy placed onto his head from behind and then a belt strapped under his chin to secure the item. Mikey’s breathing came in short, panicked gasps at not being able to know what was on his head. And then a voice was heard over an intercom.

“Now, Michelangelo…” came Bishop’s deep tone, “it is time to begin the final phase of the experiment. Doctor, you may begin when you’re ready.”

With a nod, the doctor took his place near a large machine. He placed a hand onto a switch and pulled it down.

Michelangelo didn’t know what to expect until he felt a searing sharp pain scorch through his head, causing his body to jerk against his bindings. Within the helmet, two small drills penetrated through the flesh of his cranium and past the hard shell that was his skull.

A terrible, animalistic cry escaped the tortured turtle’s abused throat as he felt something clamp onto his brain rather harshly. Whatever hopes he had of his brothers coming to rescue him were dashed instantly and his thoughts began to cloud over, becoming hazy. All he knew was the intense pain coursing through his nervous system, showing him no mercy.

If this was how he was going to die; brutally tortured in both body and mind without his brothers by his side, then Michelangelo would just have to accept it.

…

The flight to Nevada went into the wee hours of morning and most everyone had drifted off to the land of dreams. At first, Ember had refused, but after some urging from Leonardo, she agreed to sleep so that she would be ready to fight when the time came.

April had been slumbering peacefully throughout the flight. However, she was brought out of her sleep by sudden images within her mind. With a loud groan, she leant forward while holding her head. This caused the others to awaken and Donatello to look back momentarily.

“April, what’s wrong?” the genius questioned in concern.

The redhead grunted in pain as images of Michelangelo being tortured flashed through her mind. She could hear his screams of agony echoing in her head.

“I-it’s Mikey” April answered. “They’re doing something…and it’s hurting him really bad!”

The leader’s eyes widened and he turned his eyes to Donnie, who was staring out of the windshield in shock.

“How close are we, Donnie?” Leo asked.

“We’re here” the purple-clad turtle replied in surprise.

Shifting his gaze to the windshield, the forest-green terrapin’s blue orbs widened. The others glanced past the pilot’s seat to see what had the two turtles surprised.

In the near distance below was Area 51; the place that was said to hold all of the extraterrestrial secrets in the known universe. A tall electric fence surrounded the base to prevent intruders from entering the stronghold and spotlights shined in the early morning sky to spot unidentified aircrafts.

“Whoa…this is Area 51” Casey said in awe.

“It’s amazing” Raphael commented.

Coming out of his daze, Donnie began to flip switches and press buttons, preparing to land.

“There’s a rock formation nearby” the gap-toothed mutant explained. “I’m going to land there so they don’t spot us.”

“Good thinking, Donnie” the lioness said.

Wasting no time at all, Donatello manipulated the plane towards the land with the landing gears ready. The genius landed the vehicle on the dirt ground easily and it rolled towards the rock formation before coming to a complete stop.

Donnie sighed as he slouched against his seat. “We made it.”

“Don’t relax just yet, Donnie” Leo said. “We still have to get our brother out of there.”

“So what’s the plan, fearless leader?” the hothead asked.

“We go in, get Mikey, and get out” the leader answered. “We’ll use force if necessary.”

“Well, we need to hurry” April said. “Mikey’s being tortured in there.”

Upon hearing this, Ember’s mouth set into a thin line and her hazel eyes glowered in anger. She stood up from her seat, shoulders tense and paws curled into fists at her sides.

“Let’s go save Michelangelo.”

TBC…


	7. Chapter 6: Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: TMNT does not belong to me.  
> Ember is mine.  
> Summary: The brothers and allies rescue Mikey.  
> Rating: Teen and up

The early morning breeze whipped past the six teens as they made their way towards the large military base where Michelangelo was being held captive. Their mission was clear and they weren’t going to let anything or anyone stand in their way.

It took quite a bit of running, but the heroes made it to the electric wired fence that stood between them and the orange-banded terrapin. Leonardo turned to Donatello.

“Donnie, can you disable the fence without alerting them?” the leader asked in a whisper.

The genius observed the obstacle while rubbing his chin in thought. “I might, but it’ll probably take some time.”

While Donnie explained this, Casey glanced to his left, finding an open entrance that wasn’t protected by any soldiers.

“Hey, guys” the vigilante said before slowly approaching the open gate. Everyone turned their attention to the black-haired human.

“Casey, what’re you doing?” April questioned in a harsh whisper.

“There’s an opening here” Casey answered. He began to step through while the others rushed up to him.

“Casey, don’t!” Raphael ordered quietly.

But surprisingly, the human teen made it through the entrance without anything happening. Casey shrugged and gave the others a smile.

“Come on, what’re you waiting for?” the vigilante whispered.

The five remaining teens stared at one another confusedly, finding it strange that there was an unguarded entrance without some sort of alarm set up. The hothead then walked forward, hesitatingly passing through the gate without anything harming him. Raph glanced down at himself then looked back to his brothers and female friends.

“Well? You coming or what?” the red-clad ninja asked.

Reassured that it was safe but still cautious, Leo, Donnie, April, and Ember walked through the gate to join Casey and Raph. The blue-eyed reptile gestured to the team to gather around him.

“Alright, just because we got through the gate doesn’t mean that the base will be unprotected. We need to lay low and be as discreet as possible” Leo instructed in a quiet voice. “Stay out of sight of soldiers and cameras. We only fight if absolutely necessary. April, use your powers to locate Mikey and I’ll get us there as quick as possible. Understood, everyone?”

The others nodded their heads in complete understanding.

“Good” the leader nodded back. “Then let’s do this.”

…

Michelangelo’s hoarse screams echoed off the walls of the lab as his brain was clamped upon harshly. His body convulsed on the metal table from the damage being done to his nervous system. The doctor was surprised that the leather belts didn’t break from how hard the mutant’s body strained and jerked against the bindings holding him down. However, his focus was currently on the monitor that tracked Mikey’s brain activity.

That same monitor was also the center of Bishop’s attention. The head agent found this experiment to be the most fascinating of the two that had been done to the turtle before. And once this procedure was complete, the black-haired human would be able to proceed with his secret project. Everything was going according to plan.

Meanwhile, in another part of the base, Michelangelo’s brothers, friends, and girlfriend all wandered through the halls. They were as discreet as possible as they searched for their ally, using April’s powers to lead them in the right direction.

Ducking the guards and avoiding the security cameras, the six heroes traversed the hallways continuously. The redhead’s abilities came in handy for the first ten minutes, but Michelangelo’s deafening cry broke through the silence, leading the teens hastily to his location in the laboratory on the second floor of the base.

There were no guards at the doors leading into the lab, but there was, as expected, a keypad with an access code. However, after hearing Mikey’s screams, the team decided that it was time to use force.

Donatello was quick and silent as he approached the double doors. Searching through his duffel bag, he pulled out a homemade bomb and stuck it to one of the two doors. The genius then rushed back to his brothers and friends, hiding along the same wall as Leonardo, who nodded his consent with a fierce glare.

The gap-toothed mutant pulled out his Tphone, but held his finger just above the detonator button without pressing it. He glanced up at his two human friends, lioness friend, and hotheaded brother, all of whom were ready to jump into action. Glaring down at his Tphone, Donnie activated the detonator.

Bishop had been distracted with the experiment that he barely registered the explosion of the lab doors. Smoke billowed throughout the large room, leaving the black-suited man blind to what was going on. However, he could hear the sounds of bodies hitting the floor.

It wasn’t long until the smog cleared, and that was when Bishop saw them: Michelangelo’s brothers and friends. The agent scowled, letting out a low growl.

“How did they make it past my security?” Bishop questioned angrily. He removed a small remote from his suit jacket pocket and pressed a red button.

The four mutants and two humans in the lab all covered their ears as a sudden alarm blared throughout the base. Red lights flashed all around the room as well as the entire building. Bishop’s voice sounded over the intercom.

“Security breach. Omega Troop 3 to laboratory 2A. I repeat, Omega Troop 3 to laboratory 2A.”

It didn’t take much time for the soldiers that were called to get to the lab and the team of teens were ready to fight.

“Donnie and April, help Mikey!” Leo commanded over the sound of the alarm. “The rest of us will cover you!”

The laboratory quickly became a madhouse as the leader, hothead, vigilante, and feline leapt into action while the genius and redhead worked to free Michelangelo. Meanwhile, Bishop barked out orders into the soldiers’ helmets while he left to prepare the other defenses.

“Oh, man!” Donnie exclaimed.

“We’ve gotta get this helmet off!” April yelled.

The brown-eyed terrapin undid the chin strap and tried to simply pull the headset off, but his brother’s cry of pain stopped him. Donnie didn’t understand what was causing the pain, but the freckled female glanced up at the large mechanical monstrosity that seemed to be the source.

“Donnie, the machine!”

At April’s cry, the genius turned to see what she was talking about, finding a lever that was switched down, but a guard stood in his way.

Donnie removed his bo-staff from his back and disabled the soldier swiftly with a resounding blow to his neck. Then, replacing his weapon, he pushed the switch up, turning the machine and helmet off.

Frightened, but hopeful blue eyes watched as the turtle’s body beneath her slowly ceased convulsing. Mikey’s cries turned into hoarse grunts until he was left gasping and wheezing.

The purple-clad reptile rushed up behind his brother’s head and placed his three-fingered hands on either side of the helmet. As gently as possible, Donnie removed the headset, finding it easier than the first time. But when he and April finally got a good look at Mikey, their skin paled and their blood ran ice cold.

Time seemed to come to a halt as Donnie and April took in every scar on the freckled terrapin’s body. The genius found it almost impossible that his brother was even alive, but was grateful that he still was.

The mutant and redhead worked together to undo the leather belts that bound Mikey to the table. When he was free, Donnie brought his brother into a sitting position, but the injured amphibian fell limp against the bo-staff-wielder’s plastron.

“Mikey?” Donnie asked urgently, only to be met by ragged breathing. “Mikey, talk to me!”

“N-no…stop…” the tortured turtle wheezed out. His muscles twitched from his efforts to move. “L-leave me alone.”

“Mikey, it’s me, Donnie” the purple-banded genius tried to reassure.

“St-stop, please stop! It hurts! IT HURTS!”

The genius didn’t think he was holding his brother in any way that could possibly be hurting him. But then why was Mikey acting this way?

After knocking down another soldier with her Tessen, Ember approached her two friends and boyfriend. At the sight of a scarred and slightly bloodied Michelangelo writhing weakly in Donatello’s arms, the brunette’s heart dropped into her stomach, which began to churn. Her hazel orbs were as wide as saucers and all time seemed to still.

“Oh, Mikey” the feline breathed as tears filled her eyes. “What have they done to you?”

At that moment, something inside of Ember snapped. A fire burned brightly in her eyes and the lioness flew into a heated rage that rivaled Raphael’s, attacking every soldier that entered the laboratory. The fury of her onslaught took everyone by surprise as she defeated all of their enemies. When the last guard fell, Leonardo spotted a cabinet with Michelangelo’s belongings and grabbed his Tphone, nunchuks and mask, storing them in his own belt. He turned to face the team.

“We need to get out of here, now!” the leader ordered. “Casey, help Donnie carry Mikey.”

The vigilante approached the red-eyed and injured reptiles and slung Mikey’s right arm around his soldiers. Casey’s brown orbs quickly roved over the tortured turtle’s body from underneath his hockey mask, taking in the damage that was done to him.

“Whoa” the black-haired teen breathed.

“Let’s move it, people!” Leo demanded rather harshly.

Moving as quickly as they could, the team rushed out of the laboratory and down the hallways, going back the way they came. Soldiers would block their path, but were swiftly taken down by Raphael and Leonardo, who both led the way. April and Ember covered the rear behind Casey, Donnie and Mikey, attacking the sentinels that dared to stop them from leaving the base.

After what felt like an eternity, the heroes made it to the hanger where they had entered the base. They just had to cross the large room full of tanks, trucks, and other vehicles to leave through the garage door.

“There’s our exit” the hothead exclaimed as the team continued to run.

Unfortunately, their journey was cut short as a large metal door slid down to close the garage entry. The teens came to a stop, watching as all of the windows were closed off. The only door that remained open was the one leading back into the base where a flood of soldiers stormed out to surround the teens.

Raphael, Ember, April, and Leonardo stood in a protective circle around Donatello, Casey, and Michelangelo. If these people wanted their little ‘subject’ back, then they would have to go through Mikey’s brothers and friends first.

Bishop stepped past two of his soldiers, entering the large circle to see the ones who broke into his base of operations.

“Well, it seems that Michelangelo’s brothers have come to rescue him” the head agent said. “And you brought backup. How quaint.”

The blue-clad amphibian pointed his sword at Bishop. “What have you done to my brother?!”

“Just a little experiment, Leonardo” the evil human answered somewhat honestly. “My name is Agent Bishop, the head of the Earth Protection Force. Our goal is to rid the earth of all alien life forms.

“You see, during the invasion of New York City, my men were sent out to defeat the Kraang. Unfortunately, as you probably know, they were captured and used as puppets to keep anyone from entering or leaving the city. But then, after many long months, you, your brothers, your master, and your friends all defeated the Kraang and sent them back to Dimension X. You can only imagine my surprise when I saw this occur and I just had to know what made you…mutants unique.

“I had my men spy on you for some time before I gave them the order to ambush you. They were supposed to capture all four of you turtles, but seeing as how you were all quite skilled in the martial arts, they resorted to only capturing one of you, and that happened to be Michelangelo there.” As Bishop said this, he gestured to the injured terrapin, whose face was twisted in a grimace as if in pain. “The results of the previous experiments have proven useful to me and will help me in my new research.”

The mutant lioness’ eyes burned with hatred and her features grew dark. A growl escaped from deep in her throat and her entire body shook in anger. It took all of her willpower to remain where she was and not attack the agent.

“You sick, twisted, evil man” Ember growled out.

“Now, now Ember” Bishop said as he approached the group. “There’s no need to be rash.”

“Like shell there isn’t!” Raph spat out, pointing his sai at the human. “You tortured Michelangelo!”

“It was all in the name of science, Raphael” Bishop said surprisingly calm. “And besides…” a smirk crossed the suited human’s face “he’s still alive, isn’t he?”

The hothead snapped and with a snarling yell, rushed towards the government agent. Raph made to punch Bishop, but the official stepped to the side swiftly and the red-clad turtle landed on the ground in a crouch. He spun around to face the man, anger burning brightly in his emerald orbs.

“Temper, temper Raphael” Bishop mocked. “Now I understand why everyone calls you a hothead.”

Ember took this opportunity and pounced at the evil man from behind. However, Bishop spun away from the attack without even looking and the lioness ended up tackling her friend to the ground. Upon this realization, Ember got onto her feet and helped Raph up. The two of them turned and scowled at the agent.

“Well, I honestly didn’t expect you to do that, Ember” Bishop said. “But seeing the state that your boyfriend is in, I should expect nothing less.”

“He’s baiting you, Ember!” Leo exclaimed. “Do not attack!”

A feral growl escaped from the feline’s throat as she snarled, but she remained where she was. Her fists clenched and unclenched and her breaths left her in angered huffs as she tried to calm herself.

“I would listen to Leonardo if I were you” Bishop commented. “You wouldn’t want your sweet and beloved Michelangelo to be taken back to the labs and experimented on again.”

That was Ember’s final straw. Her eyelids flew open and her pupils thinned dangerously. Throwing her head back, the lioness let out a deafening roar, practically rattling the entire hanger. Once again, Ember pounced at Bishop, claws ready to tear him to shreds when she felt a sharp sensation in her neck.

One moment, the brunette was in mid-air; the next, she was lying face-down on the ground, forced to sleep by the tranquilizer dart buried in her tan-furred neck. Raphael was by her side immediately, taking Ember into his arms before any of the soldiers could apprehend her.

“That’s it! We’re leaving!” the forest-green leader called.

“I’m afraid that’s not possible, Leonardo” Bishop explained. “You are surrounded, and the windows and doors are locked down. Escape is futile.”

“You’re forgetting that we’re ninjas, Bishop.”

As Leo said this, he sheathed his katanas and pulled out a homemade smoke bomb. The katana-wielder threw the bomb onto the ground, causing an explosion of purple smoke to surround him and his team as the shell shattered to pieces. Raph did likewise with his own smoke bomb, adding to the plume of smog that now filled the entire hanger.

When the haze finally settled, the soldiers looked around, finding no sign of the turtles or their comrades. Bishop released a low growl.

“I forgot about those smoke bombs. Go outside and find them before they get away!”

…

The land was bathed in a bright orange glow as the sun began to rise over the horizon. The teens hurried across the vast expanse of land after appearing halfway from the plane’s location.

April and Raphael led the group with the hothead carrying Ember on his carapace. Donatello and Casey lagged behind them as they hauled Michelangelo, who continued to gasp and wheeze while grunting in pain. Blood trickled down from the sides of his head, staining the human’s clothes and the genius’ ribcage and belt from the droplets that fell from Mikey’s chin. The sticky warmth caught Donnie’s attention and he began to hasten his pace, forcing Casey to speed up as well.

Leonardo remained behind the others, making sure that they weren’t followed. Unfortunately, he could see dust rising up in the distance and knew that it wouldn’t be much longer until the soldiers caught up to them.

By the time they made it to the rock formation where the plane was hidden, the group of sentinels driving three trucks were halfway across the land. The five conscious teens stopped momentarily to catch their breath and looked out to the horizon, seeing the troop hot on their trail.

“You guys get in the plane” the blue-clad terrapin ordered. “I’ll buy us some time.”

The others wordlessly followed their leader’s command, running around the base of stone to return to the vehicle. Meanwhile, Leo shifted into a ready stance, watching and waiting for just the right moment to strike.

Speedily closing in on the distance, the guards prepared their laser guns, but waited for the command to fire.

When the time was right, Leonardo removed three shurikens from his belt and, with expert precision, flung them at the three trucks.

The sunlight gleamed off of the metal of the throwing stars as they flew in low towards the troop. One by one, they heard a loud ‘pop’ from the tires on each truck, causing them to bounce roughly on the hard dirt ground. The drivers slammed their feet on the brakes, bringing the vehicles to a screeching halt.

With the guards stalled, Leonardo disappeared behind the rock formation, climbing into the airplane and taking his seat next to the pilot’s chair. Michelangelo had been strapped down to a makeshift bed in the back while Ember was buckled into her seat by Raphael, who now sat next to her.

“Get us out of here, Donnie!” the forest-green reptile ordered.

“On it!” the genius replied as he pressed the green button.

Meanwhile, the soldiers were closing in on the large rock formation when they heard jet engines roar to life. From behind the stone, Donatello’s plane rose up into the air, aimed in the opposite direction as it ascended into the sky. The troop began to fire their laser guns, hitting the metal plates that made up the vehicle’s body.

The three turtles and two humans yelled as the plane began to shake from the multiple hits.

“Do something, brainiac!” the hothead exclaimed angrily.

Reaching up, Donnie opened a glass case to reveal a large red button with the word ‘BOOSTER’ written across it.

“Activating power booster!” the purple-clad ninja announced before pressing the knob hard with his fist. The power cell began to thrum loudly and surge with energy as the booster was activated.

Outside, the sentinels had stopped firing their lasers as they heard the charge of the plane engine. The jets in the back began to glow a brilliant light pink as the booster was activated.

Suddenly, the vehicle took off at lightning speed with a resounding ‘boom!’ echoing throughout the area. Dirt rose up from the ground, causing the guards to shield their faces.

When the cloud of dust settled, the soldiers glared up at the morning sky past their goggles. The turtles and their friends had escaped.

TBC…


	8. Chapter 7: Bumpy Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: TMNT does not belong to me.  
> Ember is mine.  
> Summary: The turtles and friends return, only to run into another problem.  
> Rating: Teen and up

The plane arrived in the New York City sky in the late morning hours, getting there in only forty-five minutes thanks to the power booster. Donatello prepared the plane for landing and thankfully made it into the secret entrance without anyone noticing.

“We’re almost there, guys” the genius announced. “How’s Ember, Raph?”

“Still sleeping, brainiac” Raphael answered.

“April, how’s Mikey?” Leonardo questioned.

The redhead was buckled in a seat next to the injured terrapin. His body was still and his breath left him in short wheezing gasps. With Donnie’s instruction, she had cleaned the blood from both sides of Michelangelo’s head, but couldn’t do anything more without him freaking out.

April wanted so badly to comfort the tormented turtle. He was like the younger brother she never had, but always wanted. And seeing him like this broke the female teen’s heart.

“Not too good, Leo” April replied.

“Don’t worry” the purple-clad ninja said. “We’ll get him to the lair and I’ll have him fixed up in no time.”

Suddenly, a loud explosion rattled the entire plane violently, causing everyone to yell and jump in their seats, excluding Ember and Mikey.

“What was that?!” Casey yelled.

Donnie checked the meters and systems on the console when another eruption shook the vehicle. The blast forced the makeshift bed holding Mikey loose as well as April’s chair and they both fell to the ground, still buckled down.

“It’s the thrusters!” the intelligent reptile exclaimed. “The power booster must have caused them to overheat!”

“We need to get out of here!” the leader ordered. “Donnie, help me carry Mikey. Raph, you get Ember.”

“On it!” the two brothers said simultaneously.

Leo and Donnie both moved quickly to their younger brother’s side. The blue-masked terrapin unsheathed his katana and cut the straps holding Michelangelo off. Once he was freed, the leader and genius worked together to lift Mikey off of the ground. Meanwhile, Casey assisted April, who now had a small cut on her forehead from the fall, while Raphael freed Ember and placed her on his shell.

“Let’s get outta here!” the hothead yelled.

In almost no time, the group made it out of the airplane and began to run. Once they were a safe distance from the vehicle, the conscious teens glanced back to see the small fires that the explosions had caused. Donatello knew that he wouldn’t be able to fly it again anytime soon.

“Come on, guys” Leo ordered. “We have to get Mikey and Ember to the lab and fast.”

The others wordlessly agreed and began their fast-paced trek back to the lair. As they ran, Leonardo looked down at Michelangelo to see his face twisted with suffering.

“You’re gonna be alright, Mikey” the blue-clad leader said.

…

Noises. Too many noises.  
Pain. So. Much. Pain.

Hands and arms lifting his body. Voices giving orders. His own breath wheezing in short gasps. Eruptions causing a loud ringing in his ears. His muscles spasming endlessly. It was all too much for him to endure.

Michelangelo’s body ached and his head pounded like a giant bass drum. His brain felt like it was on fire; as if thousands of bottle rockets were exploding all at once. He wanted it all to stop. He would give anything for it to just stop.

The young ninja felt the urge to struggle and get away from whoever was carrying him, but his limbs wouldn’t react to his commands. The experiments that had been done to him left him in an exceedingly weakened state. His thoughts were muddled together, but images of what had been done to him invaded his mind and he longed to escape the torment caused by the pain.

Mikey’s eyes refused to open; his sickly body prevented him from even trying. All around him he heard voices, but in his aching and fogged state, the freckled terrapin couldn’t identify who they belonged to. However, one familiar voice broke through to him for just a moment.

“You’re gonna be alright, Mikey.”

Leonardo. The voice of his brother and leader gave the tortured turtle a brief moment of joy before the overbearing aches and pains returned.

Struggling his hardest given his weakened state, Michelangelo managed to barely peel his right eyelid open, finding a blurred green and blue image looking down at him from above. Unfortunately, that one small action caused the azure-eyed reptile to fall unconscious.

TBC…


	9. Chapter 8: Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: TMNT does not belong to me.  
> Ember is mine.  
> Summary: Splinter sees Mikey for the first time.  
> Rating: Teen and up

His spirit was aloft, seeking Michelangelo’s presence to ease his own heart and mind. Even his keen rodent vision couldn’t pierce through the inky darkness that surrounded his spirit, but Splinter continued to search, not resting until he found even a glimpse of the young turtle’s life force.

Breathing steadily, the wise rat did his best to remain calm. If he allowed worry to overcome him, then he would never find his son.

He traveled further into the murky shadows, until finally, he spotted an orange glimmer ahead. Squinting his eyes, Splinter recognized the glow as Michelangelo’s life force; unfortunately, it did not carry the same energetic shine as it once did. It was weak and the rodent could’ve sworn that he saw the light flicker a couple of times, indicating that the mutant reptile was balancing on the precipice between life and death.

“Michelangelo” Splinter called gently.

There was no answer. All that could be heard was the echo of his own voice. The fatherly spirit moved closer to the glow. As he neared it, Splinter could make out the outlines of Mikey’s soul surrounding the faint orb of light in the center of his chest.

“My son?” the brown-furred rat questioned.

Still no response. Not even an indication that the terrapin knew his father’s presence was there.

Splinter tried to move closer, but was suddenly stopped by an invisible barrier that stood between him and his son. The Ninjutsu master knew this technique, having taught it to his students a few years ago. Whatever had happened to Michelangelo must have been traumatic if the young ninja had built a protective wall that prevented another presence from entering into his mind.

Orange orbs looked past the obstacle and observed the spirit. It was obvious that Mikey was in distress, and, being the father he was, Splinter wanted nothing more than to comfort his child. But as long as the wall was there, the rodent could not access the turtle’s thoughts.

Suddenly, in the distance, Splinter could hear voices. Two of them belonged to his other sons and one carried a sense of urgency. His rodent hearing even picked up Michelangelo’s name. Perhaps the youngest’s physical body had been found. The father did not want to leave the spirit, but if his fourth son had indeed been returned to them physically, then he needed to go and observe what had been done so he could try and discover the reason why Mikey’s mind had barricaded itself.

Hesitatingly, the mutant rat floated away from his son’s spirit, slowly returning to the conscious world.

“I shall return, my son” Splinter promised before the darkness swallowed the light from his view.

…

The voices were louder now; fast, full of urgency and worry. Splinter opened his orange eyes, observing the dojo in front of him. It wasn’t as big as their original, but it still served for training purposes.

Gripping his cane, the tall rodent pushed himself onto his feet, standing up straight. With a sigh, Splinter made his way to his genius son’s laboratory, where he heard the voices coming from. When he approached the entrance, he observed the scene before him.

“Leo, get me the first aid kit then help April” Donatello ordered as he got a bowl of warm water ready.

“On it” Leonardo said as he moved to the cabinet.

“Casey, take Ember and set her on the couch” the purple-banded turtle said. “Keep an eye on her until she wakes up.”

The black-haired male nodded then headed to the living area, passing Splinter without taking notice to him. The Ninjutsu master watched as Casey set the lioness onto the couch gently then turned back to the lab.

The blue-eyed leader handed the first aid kit to Donnie then grabbed what was necessary to clean the redheaded teen’s cut.

“Donnie, what can I do?” Raphael asked.

“I need you to get the IV bag full of water” the genius explained. “Mikey’s dehydrated and he needs to be rehydrated intravenously.”

The hothead went to do as his brother told him, and when he turned back, he saw his father standing in the doorway.

As Splinter stared into his son’s emerald orbs, he found worry and fear flashing through them. Raph tore his gaze away ashamedly, not wanting his master to see his weakness, then returned to Donnie with the IV bag.

The mutant rodent slowly walked into the room and towards the bed where Donatello and Raphael currently stood. The gap-toothed terrapin caught the movement from the corner of his eyes and looked up from his younger brother.

Splinter hesitatingly approached the bed, almost afraid to see what shape his youngest son was in. But the father managed to make it to the turtle’s side, and what he saw devastated him.

Scars lined pale green skin, dried blood stains left around them; the same red bodily liquid trailed the sides of Michelangelo’s head from the holes that had been formed; his breath left him in long wheezes, chest heaving with every inhale and exhale. Cords stretched from the heart monitor to the turtle’s plastron to measure his heart rate, which, according to the machine, was beating at a very low rate. The sight of his son so battered and broken nearly drove Splinter to tears, but he managed to hold back.

When Leonardo finished with April, he crossed the room to where the mutant rodent stood. The redhead, however, left the lab to check on Ember, knowing that the family of mutants needed to be alone for the moment.

The leader stood by Splinter’s side as Donatello inserted the IV into their tortured brother’s arm. However, as soon as the needle entered the pale green skin, Michelangelo’s body began to seize and convulse on the bed, his heart rate spiking to high levels. The violent shaking caused the IV needle to be pulled from the skin.

“Oh, no. Raph, Leo, hold him down!” the genius ordered.

Raphael placed his strong three-fingered hands on Mikey’s shoulders while Leo held down the youngest brother’s legs. With a steady hand, Donnie inserted the needle into the vein and taped it along the arm so it couldn’t be pulled out again. When the convulsions didn’t stop, Splinter placed his bony paw on his son’s forehead.

“My son, please be at peace.”

After a moment, the violent shaking calmed to light tremors then stopped altogether. Mikey’s heart rate slowed once more until the monitor issued occasional beeps. When they were sure that their brother was alright, the hothead and forest-green terrapins released their brother, sighs of relief issuing from their lips.

“Why did that happen, Donnie?” Raph asked.

“I’m not sure.” the gap-toothed reptile replied as he began to clean Michelangelo’s head. “A number of things can cause someone to have a seizure. Hopefully, it won’t happen again, but we need to keep a close eye on him.”

As the resident doctor began to disinfect the holes in Mikey’s head, Splinter sat down on a stool. He then retrieved the bowl of water and began to clean the dried blood around the scars off with a fresh towel.

Leonardo watched his youngest brother sadly, feeling the guilt from before welling up inside of him. All of these ‘If only’s’ flitted about his thought process.

‘If only we had seen Mikey get hit with the dart.’ ‘If only we could’ve stopped those soldiers from taking him.’ ‘Why couldn’t it have been me?’

But the fact remained that Michelangelo had been taken and experimented on, and this brought the blue-banded ninja to shame.

Without a word, Leo left the laboratory, unable to even look at the sibling he had failed. Once he was out of earshot, Splinter began to speak.

“Leonardo blames himself.”

The emerald-eyed terrapin sighed. “I feel crummy, too, sensei. Those men hurt our brother and we couldn’t save him from the experiments they already did.”

“And it’s possible that he’ll suffer mental trauma from them” Donnie said. “I won’t be surprised if Mikey doesn’t even talk to us for not saving him.”

“Me neither” Raph agreed.

“My sons, even though you couldn’t prevent the damage that was done, you did rescue your brother from suffering a worser fate” the mutant rat explained as he cleansed the scar on Mikey’s arm. “Michelangelo still lives, and it’s because of you, Leonardo, Ember, April, and Casey. None of you are to blame for this, and I’m sure that Michelangelo will not hold a grudge against you or Leonardo.”

The two conscious brothers looked at one another, both feeling slightly relieved at their father’s words. A wheezing breath brought their attention back to Mikey and their guilt returned at the sight of the tortured reptile.

With a sigh, Donatello resumed disinfecting Mikey’s wounds while Raphael watched his genius brother and master work. The road to healing was going to be long and hard, but the family was prepared to do whatever it took to get Michelangelo back to his normal cheerful self.

TBC…


	10. Chapter 9: The Monster Awakens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: TMNT does not belong to me.  
> Ember is mine.  
> Summary: Ember wakes up.  
> Rating: Teen and up

“Ember?”

“Ember, wake up.”

Two voices broke through the lioness’ fogged mind, bringing her back to consciousness. Blinking rapidly, she was met by two green blurred swirling figures above her. Ember scrunched her eyelids shut and flung her left arm over them, willing the dizziness to go away.

“I think she’s coming out of it” a familiar gruff male voice said.

The feline mutant moaned as she pushed herself up on her arms. Her head wobbled slightly from the groggy feeling leftover from the sedative in her system.

“Where…where am I?” Ember questioned tiredly as she held her forehead.

“Back in the lair” Leonardo answered. “You were hit by a tranquilizer dart and have been asleep for three hours.”

“Yeah, Bishop really got under your skin” Raphael commented. “I’ve never seen you so mad before.”

As the hothead said this, images of what happened before she fell unconscious flashed through the brunette’s mind. Her hazel eyes flew open as she remembered Michelangelo.

“Mikey” Ember whispered.

Surprising the two terrapins with almost lightning quick speed, the lioness jumped off of the couch and ran into the lab, stopping with a gasp at the sight before her.

Lying on the medical bed, unconscious and covered in bandages and a blanket, was Michelangelo. The young mutant turtle had an IV in his left arm and cords attached to his plastron to measure his heartrate. An oxygen mask was placed over his beak and mouth to help him breathe and Splinter sat at his side, watching over his precious child while Donatello had gone to his room to rest.

The sight of the injured terrapin brought tears to Ember’s eyes as she slowly moved closer to the bed. The rodent caught this then stood and moved aside to allow the feline to see Mikey.

As soon as the lioness made it to the bedside, she dropped onto the stool that Splinter was sitting in moments ago, her legs weakened from the effort of running after being inactive for so long. She wanted to reach out and caress her love’s face, but was afraid of hurting him, so restrained herself. Tears trickled down her fur-covered cheeks as she took in Michelangelo’s body.

“How could they do this to you?” Ember asked silently, unable to speak louder.

The Kunoichi was only met with wheezing breaths from her sweetheart. Behind her, Splinter placed his paws on her shoulders, offering her comfort in the time of this misfortune.

“Michelangelo will be alright” the master said. “I have faith that he will make it through this.”

Ember sniffled as she tried to hold back her tears. “Why did they have to do this to him?”

Splinter sighed. “It is difficult to say, my child. The darkness of a man’s heart can lead him to do unspeakable things to innocent others.”

“Bishop said that the results of the experiments he did would prove useful in his new research” the tan-furred lioness said. “I just wanna find him and tear him to shreds.”

“I understand what you are feeling, but vengeance will only lead to more pain” the wise rat said. “The only thing that we can do now is be here for Michelangelo and help him heal. Just before you and my sons returned here, I tried to reach his spirit, but his mind has constructed a barrier to prevent another spirit from entering.”

“Maybe he doesn’t want anyone to see what he went through?” Ember stated as a query.

“I have thought about that possibility” Splinter said. With another sigh, he added, “Until the wall is removed, I cannot enter Michelangelo’s conscience to help him.”

The two mutants sat in silence as they observed the scarred terrapin in front of them. They both felt a strong urge to do something other than sit there, but unless Michelangelo allowed his father into his mind subconsciously, there was nothing that could be done to help except to stay by his side.

…

He knew someone was nearby. Michelangelo could faintly feel another presence lingering next to his body, but it brought no harm to him. The young terrapin wasn’t sure if he wanted to know who was there, but if he wasn’t being tortured and hurt, then perhaps this countenance was someone good.

With all the effort he could muster, Mikey slightly lowered his barrier so he could know who was there with him. In front of him, an image of Splinter appeared. The familiar rodent face and fatherly figure brought comfort to the ninja’s tormented heart and for the first time, he felt relief swell through his spirit.

Out of nowhere, another presence joined his master’s, and the familiar face of Michelangelo’s girlfriend came into his subconscious view. Tears filled her hazel eyes and stained her cheeks and the freckled turtle wanted nothing more than to wake up and hold the lioness in his arms. Unfortunately, his spirit had to rejuvenate and heal before he could return to the conscious world with his loved ones.

Suddenly, horrible, painful images flashed through his mind. The experiments, the drugs, the excruciating aches that came from the demonic devices and chemicals used on and in his body; they haunted his thought process and shook him to his very core. Michelangelo tried his hardest to will these memories away, but they wouldn’t leave him alone for an instant.

The tormented reptile then began to hear a voice; one that he couldn’t recognize. It spoke to the spirit, saying one word over and over in a deep, crackly voice.

“Destroy…destroy…”

“N-no” Mikey tried to argue. “Get out!”

His commands were ignored as the young mutant began to feel an unknown energy try and force his subconscious away from his body. Michelangelo put up a fight, however, doing his best to send this unwelcome power out of his mind and body. But his struggles began to weaken, this energy too strong for his spirit to overcome alone. With all the strength he could muster, he called out:

“Sensei!”

TBC…


	11. Chapter 10: Gruesome Transformation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: TMNT does not belong to me.  
> Ember is mine.  
> Summary: Michelangelo is overcome by the experiments.  
> Rating: None for this chapter.

Michelangelo’s face grimaced underneath the oxygen mask, his body twitching under the blanket, but not seizing. Ember and Splinter watched in silent confusion, not knowing what was happening to the terrapin before them.

Suddenly, they heard a raspy and breathy “S-sensei” from underneath the mask.

“My son…” the rodent breathed.

“What’s happening?” the feline questioned.

“It seems that he is battling a spiritual enemy” Splinter answered. “I must try to connect with his spirit. Go retrieve the others.”

With a nod, Ember left the lab to find the three brothers while the Ninjutsu master resumed his place on the stool. He placed his left paw on his son’s bandaged forehead and, breathing deeply, closed his eyes, allowing his soul to merge with Michelangelo’s.

…

His spirit was weakening under the weight of the dark energy that tried to force his subconscious back into the deep recesses of his mind. Michelangelo had no idea how long he could keep fighting, but he had a feeling that it wouldn’t be much longer.

“My son.”

The familiar, soothing voice broke through to the young terrapin. Slowly, he raised his head and opened his azure eyes to see Splinter floating just outside of the barrier he had constructed. It was still partially opened from when he had felt the rodent’s presence nearby before.

“S…sensei” Mikey choked out. “H-help!”

“Michelangelo, you must lower your barricade” Splinter instructed. “I cannot help you until it is gone.”

The frightened and exhausted spirit scrunched his eyes closed tightly, urging himself to lower the invisible wall. Slowly but gradually, the barrier began to dissolve away.

“You’re doing well, my son” the ninja master praised.

Mikey grunted as he continued deconstructing the obstacle, his energy draining between fighting the evil force and lowering the wall.

As his pupil broke the barrier down, the images that haunted Michelangelo’s thoughts now flashed through Splinter’s mind. He saw the objects used to torture the turtle; felt the pain that his son endured, but the mutant rat didn’t allow them to stop him from helping Mikey.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the reptile managed to disintegrate the wall completely, but the effort depleted nearly all of his strength. Splinter knew he had to help Mikey quickly, or his life would be forfeit.

The fatherly rodent floated closer to the young ninja’s soul and placed two fingers on Michelangelo’s forehead while he placed his other hand flat over his plastron where his heart was located. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, Splinter began lending his strength to the weakened spirit in hopes of expelling the sinister demon that threatened to hurt his son.

A faint, bluish glow began to surround the Ninjutsu master’s essence and slowly began to seep from his soul to the terrapin’s. This spiritual technique required a clear and focused mind, and it took all of Splinter’s willpower to keep the images of Mikey’s torture from overpowering him.

Despite his father’s help, Michelangelo could still feel the dark force trying to overwhelm him. He could still hear that dreadful, haunting voice, and now even Splinter could hear it, too.

“Destroy…”

“No…I won’t…” the terrified turtle murmured.

The mutant rodent closed his eyes tighter, doing his absolute best to focus his energy onto defeating this evil presence. Unfortunately, the effort began to drain his strength.

“I will not let you take my son” Splinter muttered under his breath as he continued to fight this spiritual enemy.

“Destroy!”

Suddenly, a pulsing burst of red energy from Michelangelo’s core sent the fatherly spirit flying back. The young ninja’s scream was the last thing Splinter heard as he was forced away from his son’s spirit.

The demon had won.

…

Splinter’s body jolted as his soul returned, a grunt of pain escaping his lips as he clung to his head with one of his paws. Leonardo and Raphael were by his side in an instant.

“Sensei, are you alright?” Leo asked in concern.

Before the rat could answer, an ear-piercing cry echoed through the lab, turning everyone’s attention to Michelangelo. The monitor began to race off the charts from an increased pulse and heartrate as the injured terrapin howled in excruciating pain. Donatello removed the blanket from his brother and roved his eyes up and down the body rapidly, unsure of what to do.

“What’s happening, Donnie?!” Raph exclaimed.

“I have no idea!” the gap-toothed mutant replied.

Suddenly, the machine measuring Mikey’s vitals exploded from overloading, causing everyone to scream and cower as pieces of metal and glass flew everywhere. Grunts from the freckled reptile brought their worried eyes back to him.

The muscles underneath the pale green skin began to pulse and twist violently in his legs and thighs before expanding, ripping the bandages off. Faces twisted into shocked grimaces as the sound of bones crunching reached everyone’s ears. Michelangelo’s plastron began to crack from the expansion of his chest and stomach muscles. Tiny spikes emerged from the scutes on his carapace, his beak expanded, and a tail grew as the ninja’s body mutated into something more gruesome than anyone could ever imagine. His grunts of pain soon turned into monstrous growls as his skin changed into a slightly darker shade of green.

Ember slowly stepped closer to Leonardo without tearing her horrified gaze away from the sight before them. Splinter stood from the stool, nearly knocking it over as he stumbled back. Donatello and Raphael also backed away as Michelangelo’s body continued growing and growing, crushing the bed underneath his massive weight.

Finally, the injured terrapin ceased to mutate, but the family found that they couldn’t move, the sight of what transpired keeping them rooted to the spot. The room was filled with the heavy breathing of the now enormous Michelangelo.

“M…Mikey?” Ember questioned meekly.

The sound of his name had the horrific turtle opening his eyes, revealing them to be completely red and bloodshot. Mikey swiftly jumped to his feet and threw his head back, releasing a deafening roar that had the others covering their ears from the intensity.

Michelangelo bent forward, his form slouched from his enlarged muscles and carapace. He spotted Donatello from the corner of his eye and swung out at him, violently smacking him into the wall. The genius’ breath was knocked out of him with a heavy grunt as his carapace made contact with the brick structure. He fell onto his plastron, groaning from the impact.

“Donnie!” Raph called out.

The monster that was his brother turned to the hothead and made to attack him, but Raph was quick to avoid the attempt. The red-clad turtle went to punch Mikey, but the newly-mutated reptile grabbed his fist in his giant, three-fingered hand then brought Raph up behind his shoulder as he yelled. Mikey then flung his brother towards Ember and Leonardo, knocking them both to the ground without the chance to dodge.

Splinter approached his youngest son, hoping to try and talk some sense into him.

“Michelangelo, listen to me!”

Spotting the mutant rodent, the abominable terrapin bent down and roared in Splinter’s face. The Ninjutsu master stood his ground against the force of Mikey’s thundering cry, not allowing himself to be shaken.

Without warning, Michelangelo turned and whacked Splinter with his new, elongated reptilian tail. The brown-furred rat fell to the floor, rolling momentarily before stopping on his back. He focused his orange eyes on the monstrous turtle as he stepped closer, his footsteps shaking the entire lab. Michelangelo growled at Splinter, baring his sharpened teeth and drooling.

“My son, please. You must recognize me.”

Mikey only loomed closer, hovering above the rodent master and ready to attack again.

“Michelangelo” Splinter pleaded desperately.

Something in his father’s voice stopped the grisly mutant and he stared at Splinter in curiosity.

“Yes” the wise rat said. “Look into my eyes. I am your father and you are my son.”

Mikey continued to watch Splinter in perplexity until something inside of him caused him to scrunch his eyes shut and grip his head tightly. The colossal-sized mutant roared in agony before running out of the laboratory, leaving his brothers, sensei, and girlfriend behind.

Everyone stared at the open lab doors with horrified eyes, unable to speak or bring themselves to go after the monstrous reptile. Whatever Bishop did to Michelangelo, it was obvious that he probably wouldn’t be the same ever again.

TBC…


	12. Chapter 11: Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: TMNT does not belong to me.  
> Ember is mine.  
> Summary: Michelangelo fights one of his best friends.  
> Rating: None this chapter.

Muscles twisting and pulsating, heart pounding and head throbbing. Michelangelo’s mind was gone, now replaced with this horrible demon; this monster. Every step he took shook the ground beneath him as he rampaged through the sewers, traveling nowhere in particular.

His vison burned a bright red, not allowing him to recognize where he was or who he encountered. All Mikey cared about was destruction, and anyone who got in his way would pay the price, no matter who they were.

Entering a larger area of the sewers, the gruesome terrapin came to a stop, soft rumbles emanating between his sharp teeth as he stood on all fours. Michelangelo checked his surroundings, checking to see if he was alone. A deep growl to his right told him otherwise, causing him to growl in turn.

Suddenly, Leatherhead pounced from the shadows, colliding with the monstrous turtle head-on. The mutant alligator didn’t recognize him as Mikey, but saw him as an intruder in his new home and his temper flared.

The two large mutants wrestled on the ground, clawing and biting at one another ruthlessly as they tried to gain the upper hand. Leatherhead then managed to pin Michelangelo on his carapace, roaring in his face. The gruesome terrapin returned the roar then, bringing his tail up, wrapped it around the other reptile’s wrist and threw the gator off.

Leatherhead flew through the air until his back hit a group of pipes with a heavy grunt, causing him to fall forward onto his pale chest. The green-scaled mutant started to get up, but was forced down by the weight of Mikey’s body on his back. The dangerous turtle released a deafening roar before biting down into Leatherhead’s right shoulder.

The gator cried out in agony as razor-sharp teeth bit into his scaly flesh. He could feel the wet stickiness of his blood flowing down his back and arm from where Michelangelo bit him. Leatherhead struggled, but the horrid reptile held him down firmly, not letting up for a single moment.

Out of nowhere, a bright light shined in Mikey’s vision, causing him to shut his eyes tightly. He removed his teeth from the other mutant’s shoulder and protected his face with his arms. When his eyes recovered from their momentary blindness, the grisly ninja looked in the direction of the light, finding Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Ember standing at the entrance to the area, appalled at the sight before them.

“Mikey, what have you done?” the hothead asked exasperatedly.

The monster that was his brother roared in response, not even hearing the question. He then charged towards the four mutants, rage and chaos consuming his mind.

Suddenly, there were three sharp sensations in Mikey’s neck and his movements gradually slowed until he couldn’t stand anymore. The giant terrapin’s mind fogged over and his vision blackened before his body collapsed with his head at Leo’s feet.

The three turtle brothers lowered their blow-dart tubes from their mouths. The blue-clad leader then knelt next to his unconscious brother and slowly reached out, placing his three-fingered hand on Mikey’s head gently.

“Sorry Mikey” Leo apologized. “But it’s for your own good.”

A soft groan turned everyone’s attention to their mutated ally, who pushed himself onto his feet. Raph and Donnie ran to Leatherhead’s side.

“Leatherhead, are you alright?” the gap-toothed genius asked, finding the nasty bite marks in the gator’s shoulder.

Leatherhead grunted then answered, “I am fine, Donatello.” Looking at everyone, the green-scaled mutant realized that his best friend was missing. “Where is Michelangelo?”

The red-clad and purple-clad turtles stared at him sadly before turning their eyes to the unconscious beast.

“That monster is Mikey” Raph answered.

Leatherhead’s speckled eyes widened in shock as he glanced up at Mikey’s body. How someone so cheerful and kind could turn into that was beyond his comprehension.

“How?” the gator questioned.

“We’re not entirely sure, but we need to take him back to the lab” Donnie replied. “Can you carry him?”

“Of course” Leatherhead responded.

Leo stood to his feet. “We need to hurry before he wakes up. There’s no telling how long these sedatives will last.”

The large reptile approached Mikey then bent down and hoisted the unconscious turtle over his left shoulder, wincing slightly from the injury in his right one.

Raphael, Donatello and Ember began running, leading the way to their new home with Leatherhead following closely. The forest-green turtle covered the rear, watching his monstrous brother’s face as they ran. Leonardo could only hope that his genius brother could cure Michelangelo of this horrible mutation.

TBC…


	13. Chapter 12: Accident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: TMNT does not belong to me.  
> Ember is mine.  
> Summary: Bishop ponders over the new situation.  
> Rating: None this chapter.

Hi-tech binoculars zoomed in as the three turtles, lioness, and a mutant alligator left with the monstrous Michelangelo, running through the tunnel that the brothers and friend came from before. When they disappeared, the binoculars were lowered and an EPF agent stepped out of the shadows where he was concealed.

After the turtles’ escape from Area 51 with the test subject, Bishop ordered a small squad in New York to patrol the sewers and report to him if they saw the turtle mutants. The agent was internally thrilled to have found something worth reporting, but also worried what his boss would think in knowing of the transformation. Lifting his hand, he turned on the headset that gave him access to communication with his fellow agents.

“Agent 36 to base reporting in.”

…

Holographic screens blinked and reflected off of Bishop’s dark-lens glasses. Ebony eyes were narrowed in concentration as the head agent observed the samples gathered from Michelangelo before he was whisked away by his brothers and allies.

The suited man was more than furious. Because of his subject’s abduction, his project was put on delay unless he was able to work with what he did have, which wasn’t much.

From behind him, Bishop heard a door opening, but he didn’t turn to see who it was. Only two people could come in unannounced; the General and head doctor. From the sound of precise footfalls, the black-haired agent knew that it was the former.

“Yes, General.”

“Sir, one of our agents in New York reported in about the turtle mutants” the official explained. “The one you experimented on has somehow transformed into a large beast, but his brothers and a mutant alligator apprehended him.”

“Hmm…interesting” the raven-eyed human mumbled without averting his gaze from the screens. “Does Dr. Chaplain know about this?”

“Yes, sir” the General replied. “He is currently researching all of the samples to check for anomalies in the experiments that were done.”

“Good” Bishop said. “Tell him to report to me as soon as he finds something. And tell the agents in New York to wait for further instruction.”

“Sir, yes sir!” the authority saluted before turning and leaving the room.

The suited agent grumbled lowly as he gritted his teeth. If those experiments done to Michelangelo caused the terrapin’s transformation, Bishop’s new research would be set back for months, if not longer. And if the three brothers discovered this accident was his doing, there’s no doubt that they would try to find the head agent and force him to create an antidote. It was obvious that Bishop was at a complete standstill.

However, if the turtles were willing to return to Area 51 to find a cure for the youngest, then perhaps they would be willing to do anything to have their beloved brother back. This thought brought a devious smirk to the black-haired man. Perhaps this situation could be of some use to him after all.

TBC…


	14. Chapter 13: Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: TMNT does not belong to me.  
> Ember is mine.  
> Summary: The gang thinks of a plan to help Mikey.  
> Rating: None this chapter.

Roars and punches were muffled as Michelangelo pounded against his unbreakable cage repeatedly. The monstrous turtle had woken up from the tranquilizer’s effects only minutes ago to discover that he was trapped behind four walls and a ceiling of Plexiglas with no way to escape.

On the other side of the front wall, Splinter stood watching his once cheerful son, disheartened at what became of him. The wise rodent wanted to reach out and comfort Mikey, reassuring him that everything would be alright; that he could fix this. Unfortunately, due to the ninja’s mutation, Splinter’s comforting words would fall on deaf ears.

Leonardo approached his father’s side, a saddened expression crossing his features as he watched his brother try to break free from his cage. Originally, the container was meant to temporarily hold Karai if the turtles had chanced to finally convince her to come back so that Donatello could cure her. The leader never thought that they would have to hold one of his own brothers within the confines of this prison.

Slowly, both Ember and Leatherhead walked up to the glass box. Their expressions were forlorn at the thought that this great beast was once their carefree best friend. The mutant lioness’ hazel eyes shined with unshed tears, but she blinked them back, trying to stay strong for the others…for Mikey.

Raphael stayed off to the side, leaning against a wall and crossing his arms. It’s not that the hothead didn’t care for Michelangelo; he just couldn’t stand seeing him this way. He also didn’t want the rest of his family seeing his emotions. Raph would have given anything to have his enthusiastic, albeit annoying, little brother back, even if it meant being the monster instead of Mikey.

Meanwhile, Donatello and Dr. Rockwell were observing a blood sample that the terrapin genius had retrieved from one of his brother’s bandages. Normally, Donnie would try to figure this out on his own, but with the state that Michelangelo was in, he knew that he would need help trying to find a cure…if there was one.

“It appears that the mutagen in Mikey’s DNA was contaminated by some sort of genetic modifier used on him when he was experimented on” the purple-clad turtle explained.

“Indeed” the mutant monkey agreed. “I believe Michelangelo was just a subject to test this modifier. However, instead of its intended result, whatever that must have been, it caused this mutation, which was a delayed reaction.”

Leo approached the geniuses. “Can you get him back to normal?”

Donnie turned to face the leader, a saddened expression on his face. “I can try to make an antidote, but…” he looked to Rockwell, who hung his head sadly, before turning back to his brother “I’m not sure if there’s enough time.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, brainiac?” Raphael asked as he walked up to Donnie. The others came to join the intelligent terrapin and chimp to hear the news.

“Because of this mutation, Michelangelo’s cells have begun to break down at a phenomenal rate” the gap-toothed terrapin replied to the hothead’s question. “If we can’t fix this soon…” he closed his eyes and hung his head sadly, unable to finish his sentence.

Everyone’s eyes widened at this piece of information, understanding what Donatello meant. Their heads hung sadly, silence passing between the group of mutants.

“My son. My poor son” Splinter commented as he turned his dejected eyes to Michelangelo.

Leatherhead approached the group from behind as they all stared at the once cheerful turtle.

“I give you my sympathy” the large gator mutant said. “Being a monster myself, I understand what it is like to lose control. I know the feeling of not being able to form a coherent thought; of wanting nothing but to destroy everything in my path.” He hung his snout and placed his hand over the bandaged spot where Michelangelo had bitten him. “I only wish there was something I could do to help my friend.”

The terrapin beast continued to pound on the walls of his prison relentlessly, doing all he could to break free. Despite his efforts being in vain, Mikey would not rest until he was free to wreak destruction on the world.

The endless banging on the Plexiglas finally got to Raphael and he turned to his genius brother, a growl issuing from his throat. “Isn’t there anything you can do?” he barked at Donnie.

“I wish, Raph, but making an antidote will take time, and I’m not sure I have all the chemicals needed” Donnie explained.

“What if we went and found the chemicals?” Leo questioned.

“That would take too much time” Rockwell replied. “And we’re not sure what chemicals we need to make the cure, or if we even have the correct tools to synthesize it.”

“So, what do we do?” Ember asked. “We can’t just sit here and wait for a miracle.”

“That Bishop dude is the one who did this” the hothead said. “We should just go back there and kick his butt!”

“That won’t solve anything, Raph” the blue-clad leader said.

The gap-toothed turtle rubbed his chin in thought as Raph’s comment floated in his head.

“Actually, that might work” Donnie said.

“What do you mean, Donatello?” Leatherhead queried.

“Area 51 was where they experimented on Mikey. And it was their chemical that did this. If they have that, then they’re bound to have the chemicals to reverse this, as well as items to use to synthesize the antidote properly.”

“But the plane is a complete wreck” the lioness reminded him. “We have no way to get to Area 51.”

“What about the blimp?” Leo asked.

“I’m not finished repairing it, and it’s not fast enough to get to the base in time” the genius replied. “Plus, it wouldn’t hold the cage.”

“So, it’s basically hopeless?” Raph questioned exaggeratedly.

“Not entirely” the mutant monkey replied, turning everyone’s attention to him. “I know of a way to get to Area 51 fast enough.”

The three brothers, feline, and rodent all looked at Rockwell before exchanging skeptical glances with each other. They didn’t know what they were in for, but if they were going to save Michelangelo, then they had no choice.

…

Raven orbs focused intently on the mutated cells in front of him, watching as they undulated and spasmed before growing in size and strength.

“As you can see, Agent Bishop, the chemical that we used to modify DNA has reacted violently with the mutagen in the specimen’s bloodstream” Dr. Chaplin explained. “It caused this secondary mutation, and now his cells are breaking down at an astonishing rate.”

“Can this be fixed?” Bishop questioned, seemingly annoyed at this conclusion.

The ginger-haired doctor turned to face the black-haired man. “I will begin to work on a way to modify the agent used on the test subject, but it may take some time.”

“We don’t have time, Dr. Chaplin!” the head agent said, anger rising in his voice. “If we are to bring this project to life, we need to fix this immediately!”

“Y-y-yes sir…Agent Bishop” Chaplin stuttered, fear shining in his eyes. “I’ll get started right away.”

“See that you do” Bishop said, slightly regaining his composure.

Without another word, the doctor gathered his research and left the room through sliding doors. When he was gone, the ebony-suited human gripped the edge of his desk until his knuckles turned white, a low growl emitting deep in his throat. His temper began to slowly boil inside of him.

“This cannot happen” Bishop grumbled to himself. “Now there’s no doubt that those turtles will come searching for a cure for their brother.”

Brows furrowed together in a mixture of anger and annoyance. Despite knowing that the mutant family would probably do anything to get Michelangelo back to normal, it didn’t mean that they would cooperate with the human completely, due to the knowledge that it was his men who did this to the young turtle in the first place.

However, the specimen’s brothers didn’t need to do absolutely everything in order to save their monster sibling. This thought brought a wicked grin to the agent’s face. Maybe, just maybe, they would be willing to do just one small task to help him. Then, and only then, would Bishop allow his scientists to create the cure…if it could be done.

TBC…


	15. Chapter 14: Calm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: TMNT does not belong to me.  
> Ember is mine.  
> Summary: The group travels to Area 51.  
> Rating: None this chapter.

Most people would expect the night to be calm and peaceful out in the country. With no hustle and bustle of the city, they would normally be correct. However, the whirring of rotors in the starlit sky above would make them think different.

At a glance, it looked just like an ordinary helicopter, but the inside was a different story. Of course there was a pilot and passenger seat, but around the two back seats was a huge space for walking around and a large computer lining the left wall. In the very back, Michelangelo’s prison stood with him in it, still roaring and pounding the walls relentlessly.

It didn’t take much for Rockwell to persuade Slash into allowing the helicopter to be used for the mission. The copter had belonged to the EPF when they came to stop the Kraang invasion, but was wrecked at some point during the fight. While patrolling one night, Slash found Rockwell hiding in it, trying to rebuild the vehicle using some Kraang technology in order to escape the city. It was at the same time that some patrolling robots found them. By working together, the two mutants defeated the putrid aliens and they’ve been a team ever since.

Currently, the newly finished helicopter flew through the night sky with the Mighty Mutanimals, the four ninja terrapins, their father, and Ember in tow. There were no trepidations among the small family for this mission. Of course, with Michelangelo’s life at stake, there wasn’t much of a choice.

The monster turtle continued to punch the walls of the unbreakable glass, his roars muted slightly by said glass. Outside of the prison, an uncomfortable silence loomed over the mutants like a thick, heavy fog. There was nothing to say to relieve the tension, not that anyone could think of anything to say. However, Raphael couldn’t take the constant muffled noises of his brother and broke the quiet with an aggravated growl.

“Isn’t there any way to keep that behemoth quiet?” the emerald-eyed reptile asked angrily.

“You must remain calm, Raphael” Splinter said. “Michelangelo is not able to control himself or his actions. I have searched for his subconscious, but it is buried deep within this new form. I cannot access it.”

“Can’t we at least tranquilize him?” Raph suggested.

“The more we do that, the more resistant he’ll become to them” Donatello explained. “Not to mention that an overdose could probably kill him.”

“There’s gotta be something we can do” the hothead said. “His constant pounding is giving me a headache.”

“Hmm…maybe there is something we can do” Ember spoke up. She stood up and approached Dr. Rockwell. “Rockwell, is there a way to plug in my Tphone?”

“Yes, but why?” the chimp asked.

“This might be a long shot, but I have some music that might help calm Mikey down” the lioness replied.

With that, Rockwell handed Ember an auxiliary cord and allowed her to plug in her phone. The feline then chose a specific playlist in her music app and shuffled it before pressing play.

…

His spirit and mind were dormant, floating eternally in a sea of inky blackness. Silence filled the area; nothing and no one could be seen or heard, and it was pure torture. What Michelangelo wouldn’t give to return to his normal state and be with his family and friends again.

Suddenly, a hauntingly beautiful melody faintly reached his conscience, bringing the tortured mind to open his eyes. All he could see was darkness, but the music permeated into his soul, luring him forward and growing in volume.

Out of nowhere, three glittering butterflies–red, blue, and purple–began to fly around him, bringing a small glimpse of light into the eternal nothingness. The small creatures captured Mikey’s attention and filled him with wonder as they helped him forward, dissipating the darkness.

The beautiful butterflies left the freckled terrapin and floated aloft in front of him. He watched confusedly as they began to fly in a circle, creating small window for him to glance through. What Michelangelo found beyond the portal filled him with sadness.

There, standing outside of his prison was his beloved Ember, staring at him with hopeful hazel eyes. Her right paw was pressed gently against the Plexi-glass that trapped his monstrous body. It was at the same time that Mikey recognized the song and he wanted nothing more than to hug the beautiful mutant and never release her.

The tortured terrapin brought his three-fingered hand up to the window, a single tear rolling down his spiritual cheek. He didn’t know how long this would last before the creature forced him back into darkness, but seeing his precious sunshine made it all the worthwhile.

“Please help me.”

…

As the tranquil music continued, the small family watched as their trapped loved one calmed and placed his large right hand where Ember’s was. He rumbled lowly as if trying to say something, but he was unable to articulate.

“I…I can’t believe it” the genius said. “It actually worked.”

“How did you do that, Ember?” Leonardo asked in awe.

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure it would work at all” the feline admitted. “But Mikey loves it when I play piano, especially songs like this. I hoped that this would reach his subconscious somehow and push the monster away if only for a moment.”

“The subconscious is very mysterious” Splinter said. “But the fact that Michelangelo’s was able to resurface shows that he is indeed still in there and may be able to fight this demon.”

Ember’s hazel eyes never wavered from the red orbs of her boyfriend’s. Even though Michelangelo was trapped within this monstrous body, she could feel that he was still the same turtle she knew and loved on the inside. The brunette teen wanted nothing more than to cure him and bring him back.

Suddenly, Rockwell broke the silence. “We’re here, everyone.”

All of the mutants, except for Ember, approached the pilot’s seat and stared out of the windshield. There before them was the vast and villainous Area 51, the place where Michelangelo was experimented on and tortured.

Splinter could clearly see the determination in his three sons by the set of their shoulders. It was the same determination that he felt. And even though vengeance was not the answer, the rodent felt that perhaps some ‘painful’ persuasion would be necessary.

The goal was clear, and no one was going to leave until they got what they came for.

TBC…


End file.
